Santiago Pérez de Manosalbas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santiago Pérez de Manosalbas
|
|
|---|---|
Daguerreotype of Manosalbas circa 1870.
|
|
| 10th President of the United States of Colombia | |
| In office April 1, 1874 – April 1, 1876 |
|
| Preceded by | Manuel Murillo Toro |
| Succeeded by | Aquileo Parra |
| Secretary of the Interior and Foreign Affairs | |
| In office April 1, 1868 – April 1, 1870 |
|
| President | Santos Gutiérrez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 23, 1830 Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia |
| Died | August 5, 1900 (aged 70) Paris, Île-de-France, France |
| Resting place | Central Cemetery of Bogotá |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Tadea Triana Silva |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of the Rosary University |
| Occupation | Educator, writer, journalist |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Santiago Pérez de Manosalbas was an important Colombian leader. He was an educator, lawyer, diplomat, writer, and journalist. He also served as the President of the United States of Colombia from 1874 to 1876.
Contents
Santiago Pérez: Early Life and Education
Santiago Pérez was born in Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, on March 23, 1830. At that time, this area was part of the Republic of New Granada. His parents, Felipe Pérez and Rosa Manosalbas, were farmers.
Santiago and his brother, Felipe Pérez, went to a local public school. They were very bright students. Lorenzo María Lleras, the Director of Public Instruction, visited their school. He was very impressed by their talent. Lleras decided to help them continue their studies. He took them to Our Lady of the Rosary University, where he was the head. Later, they went to the “Colegio del Espíritu Santo,” a higher education school Lleras had started.
At this school, Santiago Pérez studied law. He earned his law degree on May 23, 1830. However, he mostly worked as a writer and politician, not as a lawyer.
Family Life
Santiago Pérez married Tadea Triana Silva. They had four children together: Santiago, Paulina, Eduardo, and Amelia.
- Amelia later married Clímaco Calderón, who also became President of Colombia.
- Eduardo grew up to be a diplomat, working for his country abroad.
- Santiago, his son, followed in his father's footsteps. He became a writer, politician, diplomat, and journalist.
A Career in Education
Santiago Pérez loved teaching. He started as a teacher of Spanish and Spanish literature while he was still studying law.
In 1857, he and his brother Felipe opened their own school. It was called the Colegio Pérez Hermanos. Famous people, like the linguist Rufino José Cuervo, studied there.
Later, during the time of President Manuel Murillo Toro, Pérez became the Director of Public Instruction. He was also the head of the National University of Colombia. In these important roles, he worked hard to improve education. He encouraged the building of many new schools across the country.
Exploring Colombia: The Comisión Corográfica
In 1852, Pérez joined the Comisión Corográfica. This was a special trip funded by the government. Its main goal was to map out all of Colombia. The team also collected information about the people living there.
Pérez worked as the secretary for the expedition. He took over from Manuel Ancízar, who became sick. His job was to write down everything they saw. This included events, places, descriptions, and facts about the areas they visited. During this time, he traveled to many places. These included Neiva, Mariquita, Chocó, Casanare, Bogotá, and the Caquetá.
He wrote about his travels in a newspaper called El Neo-Granadino. He also wrote a book about the trip. It was called Apuntes de un viajero por Antioquia y el sur de la Nueva Granada.
Political Journey
Pérez was chosen as a Member of Parliament (MP) many times. He attended congress in several different periods.
In 1869, he served as a temporary president for a few days. This happened during the government of General Santos Gutiérrez. He also worked as the Secretary of the Interior and Foreign Affairs. This was from 1868 to 1870. Later, he became the ambassador for Colombia in the United States.
Santiago Pérez as President
Santiago Pérez was known more as an educator than a politician. So, when he became president, education was his top priority.
He worked to make teacher training better. He ordered the building of many new primary schools. He also strengthened the National University of Colombia. As president, he and his team attended graduation ceremonies. This showed the government's support for young professionals.
He also wanted to improve the country's transportation. He supported building more railways. This included the "Ferrocarril del Norte" and buying the "Ferrocarril de Bolívar".
During his time as president, a civil war broke out. This was in 1875-1876.
A Talented Writer
Santiago Pérez started writing early in his life. He wrote many different types of works.
Selected Works
- Vivo o muerto: A novel written in verse.
- Leonor: A legend.
- El manual del ciudadano: A guide on how to be a good citizen.
- Jacobo Molai: A play based on the life of Jacques de Molay.
- El castillo de Berkley: A historical play in verse, set around Berkley Castle.
- Economía política y estadística: A collection of his writings as an economics teacher. This was published in 2002.
Language Studies
Pérez wrote a book called Compendio de gramática castellana por un granadino. This book became a required text for learning the Spanish language in Colombia.
Because of his deep knowledge of the Spanish language, Pérez became a founding member of the Academia Colombiana de la Lengua (Colombian Academy of the Language). Other famous members included Miguel Antonio Caro and his former student, Rufino José Cuervo.
- Gramática filosófica del Idioma Español
- Compendio de gramática castellana por un granadino
- Gramática abreviada de don Andres Bello: Written in 1881 to honor the great Venezuelan language expert Andrés Bello.
Memoirs and Reports
- Apuntes de un viaje por el sur de la Nueva Granada: His memories from the Comisión Corográfica trip.
- Memoria del secretario de lo Interior y Relaciones Exteriores al Congreso nacional de 1869: A report he wrote for Congress.
Theatre Plays
- Jacobo Molai: A play based on his book. It first showed on November 15, 1851. His mentor, Lorenzo María Lleras, directed it.
- El castillo de Berkley: Inspired by his book. It first showed on October 13, 1853, in Bogotá.
- Nemequene: A play about Nemequene, a Muisca ruler.
Translations
- Casarse o no casarse: He translated this English comedy by Elizabeth Inchbald. The title means “To Marry or Not to Marry.”
Journalism
Pérez wrote for several newspapers. These included El Neo-Granadino (1851), El Tiempo (1856), El Mensajero (1866), El Relator (1893), La Defensa, and La América (1880). He wrote many articles on different topics. These included politics, literature, and economy.
Images for kids
-
Daguerreotype of Manosalbas circa 1870.
See also
In Spanish: Santiago Pérez Manosalva para niños
